This blog started when I owned and MZ Skorpion Traveller and a bike magazine dismissed it with the phrase 'you can't tour on a single'. The Skorpion's gone and I now have a Triumph Bonneville, but I can't be bothered changing the title of the blog!
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Sunday, 9 April 2017

I bought this bike back in 2000 and since then it’s been my
main touring/long runs bike. Over the years it’s been to France, Ireland,
Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Netherlands and the Isle of Man. When I was married it carried my wife and I
(with 2 weeks’ worth of luggage) easily on our annual holiday.

Early 2000s, back when I was slimmer and had black hair!

In the 41 years I’ve been riding, this is the bike I’ve had
the longest, but with the purchase of my Bonneville, it’s time for us to part.

I’m open to offers; just bear in mind how many ‘extras’ it
has on it. I don’t expect to get all my money back, but I expect to get more
than an ‘average’ Skorpion.

Also, I’m not interested in any exchanges; I’ve got too many
bikes as it is!

Bear in mind that I live about 15 miles (25 km) west of
Glasgow. I live near Glasgow Airport, so you could fly here and ride it home
(as the last buyer did!)

Bike is currently on SORN, so you’ll have to arrange to tax
it or have it collected in a van/trailer. You could also use one of the bike
courier companies.

If you want to view, I work roughly 8-5 Monday to Friday,
any time outside of that should be OK.

Current mileage: 48,000 miles (77,000 km). I’ve owned it
since 17,000 miles and fully synthetic oil has been used at every service.
Engine, carbs, airbox and exhaust system are completely standard and the engine
has never been apart.

Wheels:Powdercoated
about 15 years ago and still looking OK. Avon RoadRider tyres.

Bodywork: Was white when I bought it but was resprayed Daihatsu
‘Purplish Silver’ in 2001. As paint had lifted around filler cap I had a spare
tank sprayed to match last month. 3 x MZ mirror extenders, so I can actually
see behind and not just my sleeves! Windscreen fitted with MRA adjustable
extender.

Luggage: Hepco and Becker pannier frames and rear rack. (not
the standard Traveller ones), H&B Journey 42 litre topbox. This hasn’t got
the box to rack lock so is bolted on, lid lock works correctly. Pair of H&B
Junior 40 litre panniers. These were sold through Honda dealers, so have grey
lids. Don’t have keys for these, probably available from H&B or Honda
dealers.

Other stuff: Yamaha TRX 850 headlight (much better than
standard), LED rear light and LED rear/fog light in place of rear reflector,
RAM satnav mount and wiring for satnav, output socket, gear lever linkage with
Rose joints (much less slop), Scottoiler with touring reservoir and dual
injector, Datatag (can be transferred to new owner), loads of stainless nuts
and bolts.

As it has been well used, some of the bodywork is a bit
scuffed and scratched, and there are some cracks around the mounting holes on
the fairing and screen. This is a common problem on Skorpion due to the
vibrations.

Friday, 7 April 2017

A new standard in bagger style is here – the Chieftain Elite.

Indian Motorcycle’s designers have reimagined what a top-of-the-line Chieftain should look like and have added custom paint and other design features to create a more premium look than ever before.
The new 2017 Chieftain Elite is a masterpiece for those that want an ultra-exclusive Indian Motorcycle that will turn heads.
Only 350 of these will be sold globally.

“With Chieftain Elite we wanted to design the most-premium, feature-packed Chieftain that we could possibly imagine,” said Reid Wilson, Director of Marketing for Indian Motorcycle. “In the end, I think the bike exceeded even our own high expectations. It’s an absolute show stopper.”
For those who demand the best of the best, the Chieftain Elite steps up to the plate as a bike that’s as close to custom as possible.
The Chieftain Elite features a custom Fireglow Red Candy with Marble Accents paint scheme completed entirely by hand by Indian Motorcycle’s paint facility located in Spearfish, South Dakota. It takes a small, specialised team over 25 hours to hand paint each bike and no two Chieftain Elites look exactly the same.

The Chieftain Elite has a cutback front fender that shows off the new ten-spoke 19″ front wheel beautifully.
The headlight bezel has been colour matched to the fairing and the leather saddle is more streamline than the standard model and has contrast stitching.
The Chieftain Elite also comes with a wealth of premium amenities:

Instead of a standard headlight, it has a Pathfinder LED headlight and driving lights.

There’s a flared power windshield

Rider and passenger floorboards are made from billet aluminium

It has 200-watt sound system (two speakers in the fairing and two in the saddlebags)

It also has the industry leading Ride Command seven-inch infotainment system and anti-lock brakes (ABS), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), keyless ignition, a power adjustable windshield and just enough chrome to tastefully highlight all the attitude this ultra-exclusive bike has to offer.

CHIEFTAIN ELITE FEATURESHAND PAINTED & ONE OF A KIND
Each Chieftain Elite is hand painted with ultra-premium candy paint, exclusively blended by Indian Motorcycle. The result is a bike that is truly unlike any other. A small, dedicated team of specialists in Indian Motorcycle’s paint facility in Spearfish, South Dakota work meticulously to mask, lay graphics and paint, all by hand, spending over 25 hours to complete each bike’s breath-taking finish.
FIREGLOW RED CANDY FINISH
The brand-new Fireglow Red Candy paint features a large flake base and layers of deep candy paint. The hand-painted marble accents and black pinstriping give this bike a truly custom look.
COLOUR-MATCHED EXTRAS & CUSTOM STYLE
The Chieftain Elite has a unique tank console, horn, airbox and primary and cam covers with colour matched pinstripes.
OPEN FRONT FENDER
The new sawn-off front fender gives the bike a more streamlined look. It also shows off the new 10-spoke wheel design and those dual front brake rotors and calipers. The cutback fender also offers a subtle nod to Indian’s ‘open’ fenders of the 1920s and 1930s.
10 SPOKE WHEELS
Both the front 19-inch and rear 16-inch wheels have a new 10-spoke design previously not seen on an Indian model.
PREMIUM STYLE PIECES
The bike’s custom look and feel is carried out through a host of premium standard accessories including billet aluminium rider and passenger floorboards and a flared, tinted windscreen.
THUNDER STROKE 111 ENGINE
Indian Motorcycle’s Thunder Stroke 111 V-Twin engine serves up 135Nm of torque letting you accelerate hard in every gear with power to spare.
RIDE COMMAND
Pinch. Swipe. Tap. All without removing your gloves. Offering the industry’s largest, fastest, and most customizable infotainment system, the seven-inch Ride Command system allows you to get turn-by-turn directions, quickly navigate to points of interest, play Bluetooth audio, check vehicle information and status, plus a whole lot more via its easy to use interface. And thanks to split-screen technology, you can easily customise three rider screens to display the information that matters to you most.
PREMIUM AUDIO
The Chieftain Elite has a 200-watt audio system with an AM/FM stereo, Bluetooth connectivity and a smartphone compatible USB input. There are two speakers in the fairing (100-watts) and a speaker in the top of each saddlebags (a further 100-watts).
KEYLESS IGNITION
Keyless starting is secure and convenient. With the Chieftain Elite key fob in your pocket, climb on the bike, push a button and ride. If you misplace the fob, press in a security code pre-programmed into the ignition to start it up.
STOPPING POWER WITH STYLE
The front wheel has dual 300mm front rotors with 4-piston calipers. For a custom touch, the caliper housings feature the Indian Motorcycle script logo. The rear wheel has a single 300mm floating rotor with 2-piston calipers and there’s an advanced anti-lock brake system (ABS) too.
TOURING AMENITIES
With a Pathfinder LED headlight (note that the new Chieftain Limited has a standard headlight) and driving lights, a power-windscreen equipped fairing and remote lockable hard bags out back, you’re ready to rack up miles in style and comfort. A tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and automotive quality throttle by wire cruise control enhances your ride during highway cruising.
EXHAUST
The Thunder Stroke 111 engine produces a rich, deep exhaust rumble and was acoustically engineered to eliminate high-pitched sounds, so what you really hear is Indian Motorcycle thunder.ACCESSORIES FOR CHIEFTAIN ELITE
PERFORMANCE
Unleash more power, improve throttle response and add a rich and throaty exhaust note with a Stage 1 Exhaust, a Thunder Stroke High Flow Air Cleaner and Stage 2 Performance Cams. For added style, add Six Shooter or Straight exhaust tips. Accessory stage kits are not available in all markets.
MID RISE HANDLEBARS
Add Mid Rise Handlebars for a comfortable reach to the controls and a load of attitude.SPECIFICATION
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM
7” touch screen (glove compatible with pinch to zoom & swipe functionality)
Customisable information displays
Simple, easy to use software
ENGINE – Thunder Stroke 111

Engine type

49º V-Twin

Compression ratio

9.5 : 1

Bore & stroke

3.976″ x 4.449″ (101mm x 113mm)

Displacement

111 cu in (1811cc)

Cooling system

Air and oil

Primary drive

Gear drive wet clutch

Final drive

Belt drive, 152 tooth

Clutch

Wet, multi-plate

Oil capacity & fuel capacity

5.5 qts (5.2 litres) and 5.5 gals (20.8 litres)

Torque

135 Nm at 2100rpm

Exhaust

Split dual exhaust with crossover

Battery

12 V 18 Amp/hour, 310 CCA, sealed glass mat

Charging system

42 amp max output

SUSPENSION

Front

Telescopic fork, 46mm diameter, 4.7 in (119mm) of travel

Rear

Single shock, 4.5 in (114 mm) of travel, air adjustable, pump stored in saddlebag

Sunday, 2 April 2017

Went to the 'Bikes on the Beach' event organised by 'The Scotorian Biker' today in Largs. This was a get together organised through Facebook, and the idea was just to turn up at Largs seafront and look at the bikes. Was a lovely sunny day and there was a very good turnout. It was on all afternoon but I only stayed for an hour or so and saw loads of bikes on their way as I was leaving. Reports on Facebook put the final figure at 300 - 400.

My Bonneville is in the shop, so I went on my scooter.

More 'Bikes on the Beach' meeting are planned along with a fundraising camping weekend. More details on the Scotorian Biker'sFacebook page and website.

While I was in Largs, I saw this sign in a chipshop window:

Deep Fried Mars Bar and Justin Bieber Haggis Special - are their no limits to Scottish haut cuisine?